Midway through their mall visit, a few girls approached Su Yun, asking to take photos with her. They were stylishly dressed, about her age, and Su Yun, unsure how to refuse, agreed. They even exchanged WeChat contacts afterward.
As she added them, Su Yun couldn’t help but think how glad she was that Qin Xue hadn’t come along. Though they were just friends, it seemed like Qin Xue got upset whenever Su Yun talked to other girls.
It had happened before with Xia Rou.
Su Yun didn’t quite understand why, so she brushed it off and wandered the mall, searching for a store that sold what she needed.
After taking the escalator to the first floor, she quickly spotted her target.
“You two go ahead. I’ll browse around this floor,” Su Fulin said, not approaching the store. With that, he walked off.
“Don’t buy random stuff! That’s a waste of money!” Wang Haiyan, knowing her husband’s habits, shouted after him.
“I know, I know!” Su Fulin yelled back, disappearing into the crowd.
Their loud, carefree exchange stood out in the bustling mall, drawing a few glances.
But Su Yun was used to it and paid no mind, heading straight for the store.
As she entered, she felt a twinge of nervousness, worried she might be kicked out. But thinking of Qin Xue’s discomfort, she mustered her courage and lifted her head.
“Hello, are you looking to buy lingerie? What size?” A female store clerk approached Su Yun promptly, her tone polite. She was briefly surprised by Su Yun’s hair color but, having worked there long enough to see plenty of foreigners, quickly composed herself.
“Is there anything larger than this?” Su Yun led the clerk deeper into the store, pulling the small pink garment from her bag to show her.
“Oh, this is so small!” The clerk couldn’t hide her shock this time. Some heavier women did buy such sizes, so it wasn’t unheard of.
But this slim girl in front of her? That size? Impossible.
The surprised clerk discreetly glanced at Su Yun to confirm.
And… that was it?
“Is this for you?” the clerk asked.
“No, it’s for my friend,” Su Yun replied.
“Oh, I see.” The clerk let out a relieved breath, assuming Su Yun’s friend must be heavier. Otherwise, she’d be jealous. She began comparing the garment Su Yun brought to the store’s sizes.
In the end, Su Yun picked out three pieces five centimeters larger and three pieces ten centimeters larger, unsure of the exact size needed.
The price was high—over two thousand yuan for six items. It was possible the clerk had deliberately chosen pricier options.
Thankfully, her mother wasn’t there when the price was mentioned.
“How much, baby? I’ll pay for you,” Wang Haiyan offered.
“No, no, I’ve got it. It’s just a little over three hundred,” Su Yun lied.
“Three hundred? That’s expensive… but I guess it makes sense. This is a big mall,” Wang Haiyan said, looking around, accepting the price as reasonable.
The clerk, hearing “three hundred,” froze, wondering if she’d misspoken and was about to correct herself. But Su Yun quickly paid the two thousand-plus amount, and the clerk realized what had happened.
“Come back soon!” The clerk flashed a bright smile, bowing slightly.
Su Yun felt a pang of regret as she paid, but remembering that the money technically came from Qin Xue, she prioritized her friend’s comfort. With that, she and her mother began searching the mall for her father.
They found him in the supermarket on the basement level, holding several fried chicken legs.
“Didn’t you just eat? Why are you buying chicken legs?!” Wang Haiyan stormed over, scolding Su Fulin, her tone laced with annoyance.
It was only twenty or thirty yuan, but her mother still bickered with him over it, drawing attention.
In the end, Wang Haiyan snatched the remaining chicken legs and handed them to Su Yun, but since Qin Xue and she had already eaten and they weren’t needed, she gave them back to Su Fulin.
Even knowing Su Yun wouldn’t eat them, Wang Haiyan held onto them, refusing to let Su Fulin have them or eat them herself—perhaps waiting for the moment Su Yun changed her mind.
With the clothes bought, they returned home past 11 p.m. The dark town put Su Yun on edge. After today’s events, she was hesitant to go out.
“You’re back so late. I already took a nap,” Wang Haibin said, sprawled on the living room sofa, blanket over him, eyes bleary.
“Sis, go to bed early. We’ve gotta get up tomorrow. It’s a bit of a drive. And Su Yun, you need to sleep early too. You’re coming with us,” he stressed, reminding them of the next morning’s plans.
“Mhm,” Su Yun agreed, clutching the expensive-looking package as she headed back to the room.
The room was dark, save for a faint pink glow on the bed that caught her eye.
“Sister Xue, wake up and try on the clothes.” Su Yun flicked on the light, gently nudging the sleeping figure on the bed. But she immediately regretted it, feeling bad for disturbing her.
“Sister Xiaoyun, you’re finally back! I went looking for you earlier, but I couldn’t find you…” Qin Xue, hearing her voice, sat up instantly, nothing like her usual reluctance to get out of bed.
“I went to buy you some clothes. Try these on—they should be a size up.”
“Hm?” Qin Xue lifted her head groggily, blinking at the small garments Su Yun brought.
“Sister Xiaoyun, how did you know… Have you been staring at me there all this time?”
Su Yun, unsure how to respond, opted for silence. She had been staring.
“Come on, try them on. See if they fit. If they don’t, we can return them,” Su Yun said hurriedly, steering the conversation away before Qin Xue could press further.
“Mhm.”
With her agreement, Su Yun walked to the door, locked it, and turned her back to Qin Xue, fiddling with her phone.
“Oh, by the way, I have to go out with my parents tomorrow for something,” Su Yun suddenly remembered, mentioning it to Qin Xue.
“Can I come with you?” Qin Xue, who had just taken off her clothes, froze, the new garment still in her hands.
“No… If you come, you won’t be able to answer your sister’s calls, right? It’s noisy outside.”
“It’s fine. I can just find a quiet spot to take the call,” Qin Xue countered quickly, clearly unwilling to let Su Yun go without her.
“It’s not ideal. We might be in the car for a while… Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”
Qin Xue noticed Su Yun genuinely didn’t want her to come. Reluctantly, she gave up on the idea.
“Then come back early.”
“Mhm.”
As they spoke, Su Yun remembered something else.
“Oh, and I might have to dye my hair black tomorrow for an ID photo.”
“Huh? No way!”
“It’ll turn back soon. It’s fine,” Su Yun said with a shrug, sounding resigned. Truthfully, she liked her white hair and was a bit reluctant to change it.
“Oh,” Qin Xue replied coldly.
A few minutes later, Qin Xue finished trying on the clothes. Three fit perfectly; the other three were a bit large but wearable.
“All done, Sister Xiaoyun, Sister Xiaoyun.”
“Mhm.” Su Yun turned around, phone in hand, but immediately spun back when she saw what was in front of her. Her face heated up rapidly.
“Sister Xue… put some clothes on before calling me!”
“I’ll just sleep like this. Doesn’t Sister Xiaoyun like sneaking peeks there? You must love this, right?”
Qin Xue’s tone turned teasing, almost seductive.
“I already touched Sister Xiaoyun’s legs. If you want, you can hug me while we sleep.”
“Uh… No, no, just put something on! You’ll catch a cold!”
“Oh, alright,” Qin Xue said, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Faced with the older sister’s allure, Su Yun chickened out.
She also felt like Qin Xue was treating her less and less like an outsider. Was this the perk of being close friends?
After a while, Su Yun joined Qin Xue in bed to sleep.
Unlike yesterday, when they slept back-to-back, tonight Qin Xue actively hugged her from behind. The soft, pressing sensation made Su Yun tense up.
Only when Qin Xue fell asleep, her grip loosening, did Su Yun finally manage to drift off.
…
Thursday morning arrived, and Su Yun woke early. This errand might take a while—she’d be away from Qin Xue for the day, leaving her alone at home.
Though the town wasn’t safe, staying indoors should be secure enough.
(End of Chapter)